Kim Du Toit and His Mrs have a couple of posts relating to “snobbery”.

I’m not sure I’d agree with what they call snobbery, I call it practicality. Now, I don’t have the cash to shop at William Powell, nor do we have any prewar havilland porcelean in the house. Around here, the food on the plates was always more important than the plates, but that’s just because we’re wired that way. Our plain Corelle will last just as long as anything else, and the wife likes it, so it’s just fine.

We do buy stuff that lasts, though, when we can.

I wear, for instance, a Swiss Army Chronograph. It’s a bit big and bulky, but it keeps good time, and if it ever stops, I’ll check my pulse; a blow hard enough to stop this watch would probably kill me. Retail on this is about $400. You don’t have to buy a Rolex to have a fine watch.

I read paperbacks for recreation. When I find a book worthwhile, I replace the paperback with a first edition hardcover. I have several hundred. When I can, I get them autographed. I wash my hands before touching them, and I keep them away from light and excess air circulation.

I usually wear Levi’s jeans because they’re tough, and take a lot of abuse. If I’m going to do any horseback riding, I wear Wranglers because the seams don’t fuckup the inside of your legs. I wear Carharrt outerwear in winter when I’m working outside because it wears like iron.

I have a Weber grill because it’s an extremely well made grill, made right here in the USA. I have a lot of machinery in the plant, I have seen the grills made. I know the quality is second to none.

I don’t have the kind of gig that requires me to dress;I rarely ever wear a suit. When I need to, which is usually to carry a relative to a hole in the ground, I wear the same Harris tweed I have worn for years.

I Do have the kind of gig that requires me to have and use tools, and I buy tools that will do the job. This doesn’t mean Snap-On, frankly; Snap On tools are overpriced and often underworked. Armstrong makes better box wrenches, IMO. Sears sockets rock. I have very specific brands and preferences for every tool I own, and there is a good reason: I have worked with them all, and I know what is best. If a tool fails me, I destroy it and replace it with something better.

I have a lawn tractor that is two years younger than me- before it was mine, it was my father’s. I also have his Gravely, and my uncle’s Troy Bilt. These tools have, with very little maintenance, served me in good stead for years, and I believe they have years to go.

I buy properly constructed vehicles and take care of them. My truck is a Ford. I’d love a Unimog, but it’s impractical. My Ford Explorer, 1998, has 191,000 miles on the clock, and it runs like a top. I intend to get another 200,000 miles out of it.

You don’t have to be a snob to buy good quality. Different people have different tastes, different desires. With Mrs Gun Guy, it’s housewares &etc. With Kim, it’s fine firearms (well, OK, I do “some” of that as well) with me, it’s mostly tools & power equipment.

There are a few exceptions. I have purchased extremely well made shoes, and I have found that I destroy a $200 pair of shoes just as quickly as I destroy a $20 pair of shoes. Not worth it, for me, never will be. I can shoot Remington “goldem bullets” ($9/550) as accurately as I can shoot Federal Match Ammo ($3/50). Not worth it.

I have bought a Halliburton case used to carry my work toolkit in, because a nearly worn out Halliburton Zero case is still better than a brand new cheap plastic toolcase. I have a lot of power tools and equipment that I’ve purchased used, my $50 Delta 10″ table saw, I’ll put up against any new saw on the market.

Bottom line: You don’t have to win the lottery, or make $270,000 a year, to have good stuff. You just have to know the difference.